LX570 Tow Report (1 Viewer)

[TeCKis300]

View attachment 2684758

Yes, I believe it would be deactivated by holding it down for three seconds when not moving. After researching a bit more, sounds like general consensus is to leave on as it shouldn't ever actually activate with proper set up. My neighbor recommended it off, which seemed counterintuitive so started researching. There was a manufacture that recommended shutting it off, but I have no idea the dynamics behind why.

was reading some posts here: F150 sway control setting ON or OFF - Jayco RV Owners Forum - https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f37/f150-sway-control-setting-on-or-off-70994.html

Gotcha. Yeah, I've heard off-hand comments about turning it off too and it's very gray area. I chalk it up to unintended consequences of setups with bad fundamental adjustment of the WD hitch to begin with. The thing about electronic sway control is that it typically applies single brakes to bring TV yaw under control. The act of braking in certain situations can sometimes perturb or escalate trailer sway. Because a component of sway is that the trailer has excess momentum upon the TV, and by braking the TV more, can sometimes exacerbate the sway situation. Which is why you've probably heard that in a sway event, proper reaction is to manually brake the trailer and not the TV.

That said, the above is a very narrow situation, and with proper rig and mechanical WD setup, shouldn't happen to being with. TV electronic sway control has benefits in a broader set of situations like understeer, oversteer, cross winds where it can do things to correct the attitude of the rig in ways that the driver cannot.

Bottom line IMO, is that it should be left on. But also that due diligence should be exercised to properly setup the rest of the rig. If the rig doesn't feel stable to begin with, then it's not properly setup, and no amount of TV electronic sway control will be a useful safety net.

 

[RMJ64]

Got some miles under my belt now towing my current setup: '09 LX570 with '07 Airstream 27FB International Ocean Breeze. Wanted to give a report for others attempting to tow things in the same weight/length range.

LX570 mods: 33" AT Load Range E tires (Falken Wildpeak AT3W 305/55/20), 1" spacers all around, Dometic Milenco Grand Aero3 tow mirrors.
*Normally, I do 36 psi all around on these tires, but 42psi rear 41 psi front when loaded.

Pertinent numbers for the Airstream 27FB: 28' length (ball to bumper), 5813 dry weight, 790 hitch weight, 7600 GVWR.
Mods 3" lift axle lift.
*Note, these are dry unladen weights with no accessories or gear. It is well known in the AS community that Airstreams specs are very much on the light end. While I don't have actual weights (yet), those who have, generally report tongue weight in excess of 1000lbs, and trailer weight about 10-20% more.

Hitch: Equalizer with 1000lb bars.
Brake Controller: Tekonsha P3

Happy to report that she tows splendidly. No tail wagging or any hint of instability.

The pair is well matched in mass, as the LX570 is reported to have a curb weight of ~6150lbs. Weight is generally a major factor in stability. While trucks can be heavy too, they tend to be light in the rear where it counts (unless they have gear/ballast).

Next is wheelbase, or more specifically wheelbase to rear overhang ratio. This was a concern as LC/LX's have wheel bases on the shorter end (~112"). With not exactly a short overhang (~56"). This 2:1 ratio is not ideal, but I believe the heft and wide track do lend some added stability to make up for things. Where this is a huge advantage is maneuvering and backing up in tight campgrounds.

AHC works splendidly to control ride and secondary trailer motions. At no point does it feel under-damped or undersprung. I tried comfort mode on the manual damping dial for kicks and it allows for more motion, but I much prefer it in normal damping mode. Ride and trailer motions are quickly quelled. And ride quality is splended considering the load along and 42 PSI in Load E tires. Obviously no sag with AHC, but the nose at the front end will ride high without proper WD tension.

I use an Equilizer hitch with 5 washers (EDIT: 6) for tilt/tension. The specific washers and tension is completely dependent on your particular setup. This seems to balance things well to put weight back on the front axle. A good WD/sway hitch is key to a successful setup and the Equilizer works well. If the front axle feels light or things feel squirrely at all, more WD tension.

The receiver on the LX570 is quite high, especially considering that the suspension never compresses or droops with load. Along with it being modestly lifted (1" via tires). So the standard drop shank puts the nose of the A/S high by ~3". I decided to lift the Airstream rather than use an extended drop shank, since A/S's tend to be on the low end and will commonly drag the tail AND hitch when entering driveways like at gas stations. So my A/S has been lifted 3" and sits nice and level now.

AHC is awesome in all sorts of ways. Besides the obvious ride quality and leveling abilities. It's useful when hitching up to get the ball under the trailer, or releasing. It's also great to relieve the tension on the weight distribution bars, without completely relying on the tongue jack to lift the heavy combination. Also useful to level things at the campground.

One very interesting aspect of AHC is that it slightly lowers ride height at speed on the freeway. This actually works great in concert with the weight distribution bars to dynamically increase WD tension for stability at higher speeds. I can set WD with less static tension. Around town, this allows for the combination to have a bit more flexibility between the tow vehicle and trailer, to traverse uneven terrain, especially with the stiffer Equilizer hitch bars.

Requisite pictures:
View attachment 1515512
View attachment 1515513

Hi,

Very impressive report. I'm quite new to ih8mud, and towing. Have a 2011 LC200, factory stock. Been researchiny offroad family caravan for almost 2yrs now but anything that come close to my need is at the edge of lc200 tow capacity. I am thinking hard to get BlackSeries HQ21 that has 6400lb dry wieght. HQ21 - Tech Specs - Black Series - https://www.blackseriescamper.com/travel-trailers/hq21-tech-specs.html

Do you see any hope to fit it with LC200?

 

[coleAK]

Hi,

Very impressive report. I'm quite new to ih8mud, and towing. Have a 2011 LC200, factory stock. Been researchiny offroad family caravan for almost 2yrs now but anything that come close to my need is at the edge of lc200 tow capacity. I am thinking hard to get BlackSeries HQ21 that has 6400lb dry wieght. HQ21 - Tech Specs - Black Series - https://www.blackseriescamper.com/travel-trailers/hq21-tech-specs.html

Do you see any hope to fit it with LC200?

I’m saying no way, GVW of that camper is 10k lbs. you would be 2k lbs above rated, in the >16k lbs GVW when hooked up. There are a few of us on here that are ~14-14.5k lb GVW but not aware of anyone close to 16k lbs.

When looking at campers never look at dry weight for what you can tow. Sometimes dry weight is without things like fridge, stove, heater,…. You want to stay with a camper below 7-8k GVW for a 200.

 

[TeCKis300]

Hi,

Very impressive report. I'm quite new to ih8mud, and towing. Have a 2011 LC200, factory stock. Been researchiny offroad family caravan for almost 2yrs now but anything that come close to my need is at the edge of lc200 tow capacity. I am thinking hard to get BlackSeries HQ21 that has 6400lb dry wieght. HQ21 - Tech Specs - Black Series - https://www.blackseriescamper.com/travel-trailers/hq21-tech-specs.html

Do you see any hope to fit it with LC200?

Thanks RMJ64.

As impressed as I am with the tow capability of the 200-series, I tend tend agree with @coleAK. Campers tend to be much closer to GVWR with options, gear, and water. Including mine after visiting the scales, weighing in at 8k lbs. the HQ21 is spec'd at 10k GVWR which is probably a bit too much.

Not all hope is lost though. There's at least a couple on here with HQ17 and HQ12 BlackSeries trailers that seem to tow really well. It may suit your purpose better in that if your intent is really to go boondock off the beaten path, the smaller campers will do it with more practicality.

I forget who has this rig on the boards, but it seems like a good pairing.

 

[coleAK]

Hi,

Very impressive report. I'm quite new to ih8mud, and towing. Have a 2011 LC200, factory stock. Been researchiny offroad family caravan for almost 2yrs now but anything that come close to my need is at the edge of lc200 tow capacity. I am thinking hard to get BlackSeries HQ21 that has 6400lb dry wieght. HQ21 - Tech Specs - Black Series - https://www.blackseriescamper.com/travel-trailers/hq21-tech-specs.html

Do you see any hope to fit it with LC200?

I agree with @TeCKis300, HQ 17 is more like ~7-8k lbs would be very doable and similar in weight to the campers many of us on here tow, including he and I.

and looking at it not sure what you really gain going from the 17 to 21. Since you are looking at an off road camper I think the larger size would be more of a disadvantage then the small interior gains.

 

[RMJ64]

Thank you all! HQ17 was always one of my favorites but wanted to evaluate the idea of 21. Not much is gained going from 17 to 21, few creatures of comfort but obviously not viable to tow.
Got my eyes on a 17 now, hopefully will come back with more questions!

 

[TeCKis300]

Another great weekend boondocking in the mountains. Heavy towing up grades, doing some wheeling, and back to towing duties. Then back to the work week and commuter life. Hard to imagine another single vehicle that does it all so effortlessly.

 

[coleAK]

Another great weekend boondocking in the mountains. Heavy towing up grades, doing some wheeling, and back to towing duties. Then back to the work week and commuter life. Hard to imagine another single vehicle that does it all so effortlessly.

View attachment 2998775

Nice I couldn’t agree more. I was hoping to get out next weekend for the first time this year but the lot where I winter store the camper still has substantial snow.

 

[coleAK]

Finally enough snow gone to get the camper out of storage. First time out this spring, 38F and a great day. Rare that the muni campground isn’t sold out, next weekend through August this place will be a zoo.

 

[Swampmonger]

Thank you all so much for the discussion. I've been on a serious Airstream...ah I'll just admit it...obsession...lately. I so badly want to RV to all the western national parks from the Grand Canyon to Banff (not all in one trip, of course).

Full disclosure, I've never towed anything. At all. I've backed my buddy's 25' boat up and down boat ramps so I'm decent at maneuvering big trailers in tight spaces, but I've never driven at speed over the road with any sort of trailer (except as a passenger with the aforementioned buddy).

Going into it I just assumed a 5.7L V8 body-on-frame rig like the LC would be a no-brainer of a tow vehicle. It never even crossed my mind that it wouldn't be. I had never heard of WD or sway control. Now, after a ton of research, I'm...ah I'll just admit it...terrified...of messing it up and ending up rolling side-over-side down the interstate.

I'd gotten my wife to buy in and maybe be a little excited about the idea until I mentioned we'd probably need a new tow vehicle. That's a non-starter because we don't want a third vehicle and that added expense raised the price-of-entry out of her comfort zone.

Anyway, I don't have anything to add and I don't really have any specific questions right now. I just wanted to thank y'all again for the discussion and maybe bring this back to the top for when I do have questions.

To add: my plan was to buy once, cry once and get a 30' Classic Rear Bed. I think that's about a 10,000 lb GVWR (and pushing $200k). When I figured out I'd need a comfortable 3/4 ton diesel the initial outlay went up considerably. Now, after reading this thread, I'm thinking I can maybe get away with my LC as a tow vehicle with a 23' to 25' model (6000-7300 lb GVWR). And, honestly, if it's as comfortable and safe as you all have been saying I really want to use my LC as a tow rig anyway. We both absolutely love our Cruiser and would prefer to take it on our National Park adventures.

 

[Swampmonger]

Alright. Stuff just got real. Our 25' Airstream is allocated for Oct/Nov. I have a lot of work to do.

Quick question...should I change out my AT KO2's for a street tire for towing? Does it matter?

 

[TeCKis300]

Alright. Stuff just got real. Our 25' Airstream is allocated for Oct/Nov. I have a lot of work to do.

Quick question...should I change out my AT KO2's for a street tire for towing? Does it matter?

Noice. Promise we get some pics .

KO2s should be up to the task. What size do you run?

With any tire, I'd suggest bumping up pressure 3-5 PSI for more stability when towing such a substantial load.

 

[terrapin]

I tow a 23' Airstream and went with stock sized (275/65/18 E-rated) BFG KO2s to help minimize the mileage hit. I run 40psi normally and bump it up to 46psi to tow. Speed is really the biggest factor in mileage.

I've been all over the Southwest and Colorado and have not had any problems. My MO is to set up camp in a great spot and explore from there. I kind of wish the tires were larger, but really haven't had any problems.

Big Bend NP

 

[Swampmonger]

Noice. Promise we get some pics .

KO2s should be up to the task. What size do you run?

With any tire, I'd suggest bumping up pressure 3-5 PSI for more stability when towing such a substantial load.

Pics will be coming for sure.

I run 285/70R17's on Rock Warriors--usually at 40psi. I'll bump that up to 45-46 with the trailer.

If the base truck is good to go it's time to pick a WD hitch and brake controller. My AS dealer sells and installs EQ and Blue Ox.

As for a brake controller...I have no clue. I've never researched them. I know I want the installation to be very clean and look OEM. My Jeep LJ had one installed when I bought it and it was just a box screwed into the dash at my right knee with the wires zip tied up under the dash.

 

[NKP Garage]

Pics will be coming for sure.

I run 285/70R17's on Rock Warriors--usually at 40psi. I'll bump that up to 45-46 with the trailer.

If the base truck is good to go it's time to pick a WD hitch and brake controller. My AS dealer sells and installs EQ and Blue Ox.

As for a brake controller...I have no clue. I've never researched them. I know I want the installation to be very clean and look OEM. My Jeep LJ had one installed when I bought it and it was just a box screwed into the dash at my right knee with the wires zip tied up under the dash.

Congrats on the new Airstream. That's going to be a great setup. For the brake controller, go Redarc tow pro elite. Nothing else comes close:

Here's my install:

-

 

[Hksir]

This is what I tow..

 

[Hksir]

Just curious, if anyone have a slee, dissent or arb rear bumper towing an AS or a trailer. I would like to know if there are any interference with the spare tire and jerry can. Thanks.

 

[linuxgod]

Just curious, if anyone have a slee, dissent or arb rear bumper towing an AS or a trailer. I would like to know if there are any interference with the spare tire and jerry can. Thanks.

I cannot speak to those, but I have an RLC which is similar, and I have a Lance trailer. I had to get a longer hitch shank to ensure the spare tire did not smash the propane tanks. Even still at full lock on a tight turn the tire will bump the tank with my setup, though Slee or Dissent (or the precise propane tank location with your Airstram) might be better

Amazon product ASIN B001EP29IG

 

[coleAK]

I cannot speak to those, but I have an RLC which is similar, and I have a Lance trailer. I had to get a longer hitch shank to ensure the spare tire did not smash the propane tanks. Even still at full lock on a tight turn the tire will bump the tank with my setup, though Slee or Dissent (or the precise propane tank location with your Airstram) might be better

Amazon product ASIN B001EP29IG

With the stock bumper I had to get the same drop on 33” tires.

 

[Hksir]

With the stock bumper I had to get the same drop on 33” tires.

I have the equalizer hitch sway bar. Would having a longer hitch be a good idea because of the tongue weight?